Apple slips into second place in 2018 'Most Valuable U.S Brands' list

Apple clung on to second place in Brand Finance's "U.S. 500 2018," ranking the most valuable U.S. brands, but saw itself eclipsed by a new leader -- Amazon.

While Apple's "brand value" rose 37 percent to $146.3 billion, that was only enough to keep it in place versus Amazon, which grew 42 percent to $150.8 billion. 2017's leader, Google, slipped to third as its brand value increased only 10 percent to $120.9 billion.

Brand Finance uses its own custom metrics to determine brand value. Although the company says its work meets ISO 10668 and 20671 standards established for a common comparison framework across studies.

In the long term Apple's performance represents a rebound. The company maintained absolute dominance between 2012 and 2016, but dipped sharply in 2017, allowing Google to win that year. In fact Apple, Amazon, and Google were all neck-and-neck, if still handily beating out fourth- and fifth-place rivals AT&T and Facebook.

2018 saw AT&T change spots with Facebook for the first time, possibly a reflection of the omnipresence of Facebook in daily life for many people in the U.S. and abroad, as well as fluctuations in the domestic cellular, TV, and internet markets.

Apple clinging onto second place? I guess it’s time for the death spiral clock to be started once again? I assume the word “clung” was chosen on purpose to imply precarious impending failure. So when will Apple lose its grip and fall from second to third place? Words do have meaning.

Apple clinging onto second place? I guess it’s time for the death spiral clock to be started once again? I assume the word “clung” was chosen on purpose to imply precarious impending failure. So when will Apple lose its grip and fall from second to third place? Words do have meaning.

Well, if you frequent a blog that rehashes other sites’ stories to make a crust, don’t expect Pulitzer-level writing.

There is no shame in being a tiny step behind Amazon today. No company in this group understands customer lifetime value (CLV) better than Amazon. This isn't an indictment of Apple but a pat of the back for Amazon for the amazing job they are doing right now. Apple has a ton of untapped potential and additional capacity in its current workforce and has a solid product portfolio and loyal customer base eager for a big refresh. One or two strategic acquisitions and some core product refreshes that surprise and delight current customers will quickly tip the scales back in Apple's favor.

Over the last year Apple has been paying down technical debt around security, power resiliency, and feature completeness. They've weathered big PR storms. The glacial-pace release of critical new core components from their primary suppliers is seriously bogging them down. If Apple was truly firing on all cylinders and killing it with customers and product reviewers and was still #2 then we should worry. But they are not running in top gear, much less overdrive. Here they are, stuck in second gear, yet they are still breathing down Amazon's neck and have a massive load of fuel in the tank. Apple is in a great position, they just have to deliver. Soon.

No one gives a flying F^&*( what Brand Finance thinks other than the fools who pay them for their BS.

Amazon's relationship with people is founded on "give me cheap products". Amazon users are generally not passionate about the company which is why Amazon has failed at every premium product aimed at consumers.

In essence this is "how much of a household name is a given brand," and in that context it makes perfect sense for Amazon to be #1 by this measure. Amazon's services transcend nearly all barriers wrt to platforms, and they are perceived to be a good value to consumers (if not stockholders). Of course they're a brand on everyone's mind.

I know lots of households that won't buy any device from the [Apple/Android] eco-system, but they both will use Amazon. So the result is hardly surprising.

Wall Street and the news media really love Amazon and they're going to continue to put Amazon ahead of Apple in all respects. Amazon's value is growing by leaps and bounds while Apple's value is barely moving. With all the money Apple had available to improve products and services for consumers, I just don't understand why Apple is falling to Amazon.